Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[JDo217]

I'm just curious about Green Lantern since I never read the comics. Is the Parallax thing part of the original comic? Because when my friends saw the loop their first impression was that six flags either ran out of green paint or was too lazy to paint it. Then they saw the Parallax explanation on the queue and one of them was convinced that they made that up to make the yellow loop make sense.

 

Also, when I went like 2 days ago parking was $17. I paid with a credit card if that makes a difference (it wasn't Discover)

[ParkTrips]

Which is another area both SeaWorld parks and CF have SF blown out of the water: affordable, all-encompassing season passes that can be used across the chain for both admission and parking.

lol

 

let's look at a market where SF and CF both have parks

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom pass: $70

Great America pass (*platinum, since its required to get into other parks): $165

SF parking fees one can pay before the CF pass becomes the better value: 6 @ $15

Even if you opt for the $50 parking pass at Six Flags, that still leaves you with $45 extra to spend on parking at other parks

 

That is for one person. A family of four would spend $240 for passes at SFDK ($60 reduced family rate) versus $494-620 (2 kids and 2 adults/all 4 over 48") -- a difference of at least $254, or just a dollar short of 17 $15 parking fees at Six Flags parks (or 13 if you bought the parking pass - but remember, you only have to buy one for the whole family)

 

Once you start talking about traveling to visit other parks, the cost of parking really begins to lose significance when comparing it to the costs for lodging and gas, not to mention the fact that if you can afford to spend all that time and money traveling, you really shouldn't be bitching about $15.

 

Not sure I need to address Busch either cause their universal park access passes (Platinum, I think?) are even more than the CF ones, and only the Florida parks are reasonably close to each other, thus, again, a parking fee becomes nominal when also considering travel expenses

 

So, in short, I find your statement quoted above to be ignorant to the facts. The other statements about ease of use are legitimate in my experience, but not deal-breakers to me.

 

 

And that just changed this year. It's insane - I think my $45 should cover any run-down piece of pavement I need to stash my car in for a year!

Wait, $45 for your pass or parking pass? Either way, that's nothing - its hard to get good tickets to an NFL or NBA game for that price, and that's one game, not a season where you can use it in excess of 100 times. That's a decent dinner for 2. That's less than a tank of gas these days....

Edited June 18, 2011 by ParkTrips

[CoasterGuy06]

^And the worst thing about the parking passes is you can't use them at any park except the one you bought it at. Which is another area both SeaWorld parks and CF have SF blown out of the water: affordable, all-encompassing season passes that can be used across the chain for both admission and parking. Not to mention the discounts you get with both passes. Sure, SF gives you that little coupon book, but a large chunk of those are a bitch to use because on the "bring a friend free" days, the parks end up slammed and it's a waste of time to even be there. Lo-Q continues to be the only thing that SF has over the rest of the chains.....

 

And that just changed this year. It's insane - I think my $45 should cover any run-down piece of pavement I need to stash my car in for a year!

 

I don't have any season passes this year, but last year my SF was just under $100 with parking pass and CF was $160. I can see with that price difference where SF doesn't allow other park's parking passes to be used.

[coasterfreak101]

^^I'm talking about a parking pass. I don't think that an NFL game ticket can be compared to a $45 charge just to park at my local theme park. $45 was worth it to me when it got me parking at Six Flags America, Great Adventure, and Magic Mountain, but I can't find any reason for me to pay that money just to get in to the SFA parking lot. And $45 is more than a tank of gas for me, so that's a mute point.

[LBIJim]

Also, when I went like 2 days ago parking was $17. I paid with a credit card if that makes a difference (it wasn't Discover)

 

General parking was $17 on Thursday. Friday it went up to $20. I noticed two maintenance workers changing the sign on the roadway leading up to the parking toll booths about 9:45 Friday morning while heading into the Safari.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^^^For me, the Platinum Passes for Busch and CF have been much, much better deals. I've been to KD at least 6 or 7 times this year, I'll be going to CP in a couple weeks, and Dorney in August. I won't have had to spend a dime on parking or admission since April 2 on any of that. My two-year Busch pass is something like $12.50 a month for the two years and will have gotten me free preferred parking and admission to both Busch Gardens parks and SWO countless times during that span, not to mention discounts on everything I've purchased in the park (and the quality of those parks is well worth the extra money).

 

If I felt like visiting any SF park as much as I visit either of those chains, the amount of parking would have added up WAY past what I paid for either of them. I would gladly pay extra if they had a combo season/parking pass that included all parks in the chain. At SFGAd, their regular season pass is $100 (which doesn't include parking). At KD, you get the VIP season pass (which includes parking) for $100. Even if you got the parking pass for SFGAd, you'll have spent way more than what you did at KD just for the passes. And then if you spent the $165 for the Platinum Pass, that will have only been something like $20-$25 more than the SFGAd one, which doesn't get you free parking at other SF parks like the CF Platinum Pass does.

 

Edit: And when considering the GP, we pretty much have to safely ascertain that hardly any of them will be getting the Platinum Pass at a CF park. Most of the people I know around here that go to KD pretty much stick to the VIP pass, because they probably couldn't even tell you where another CF park is, much less visit one. I would imagine it's the same at any other location around the country. I'd actually like to see the stats on what kind of people get Platinum Passes, my guess is mostly enthusiasts buy them as opposed to the GP. So, if comparing the VIP pass at KD to SFA or SFGAd, it's a WAY better deal than either park (even if SFA is a tad cheaper, the difference in park quality once again is the trump card).

[Nozzy]

I'm just curious about Green Lantern since I never read the comics. Is the Parallax thing part of the original comic? Because when my friends saw the loop their first impression was that six flags either ran out of green paint or was too lazy to paint it. Then they saw the Parallax explanation on the queue and one of them was convinced that they made that up to make the yellow loop make sense.

 

Also, when I went like 2 days ago parking was $17. I paid with a credit card if that makes a difference (it wasn't Discover)

 

I believe the Parallax was a relatively recent thing in the comics, as an explanation of why Hal Jordan went crazy and killed everyone awhile ago, and was picked for the movie. This looks nothing like the Parallax in the movie, but it is a pretty awesome effect when you go through with all the fangs and claws. Much better than Bizarro's shields.

[PSiRockin]

Parking+Waterpark for Great Adventure adds up to be $110+$45, or $155. This makes Hersheypark and Cedar Fair parks cheaper in comparison. You would think Great Adventure might be cheaper considering the waterpark isn't included with regular season passes.

[coasterking13]

I feel like Great Adventure is a little more pricey because its the closest park to new york city. Pretty much everything in nyc is more expensive than everywhere else in this country. Since great adventure gets alot of people from nyc, they probably can get away with this. Just a thought

[Hayzle]

Sorry didn't realize online was up to 17 when i went the online pass got you in for 12 it think. Definitely wasn't 17. My thinking is, by raising prices up 3 dollars it must mean they are raising money to pay for big additions for next season. It's only logical right?

[texcoaster]

I went Monday and parking was $20!

 

Also, I am an avowed Voyage fanboy. The only Intamin Plug-n-play I'd ridden was Heide Park's Colossus and I was underwhelmed by it. I very much preferred Voyage to that one and expected the same to be true of El Toro.

Not so.

El Toro is amazing, intense, fast, and very re-ridable. After three rides on it, I gotta say it's edged out Voyage as my #1 coaster. Voyage was running really well last year when I rode it (even better than my first rides several years ago), but Toro just kept the intensity up like very few rides I've ever experienced.

 

Now we just need a plug-n-play coaster that's really long and has multiple tunnels.

[ginzo]

^Parking was $17 when I went last Thursday.

[YoshiFan]

They just raised it to $20 on Friday. Preferred went from $25 to $30.

[Hayzle]

After looking at the attendance numbers from last year, and guessing 4 people per car parking is the average, just by raising the price 3 dollars (which really isnt too horrible when you think 3 dollars) six flags will be making an extra two million this year if attendance stays the same. My guess is that it will be up due to all of the promoting and cross promoting with the movie for Green Lantern. Two million dollars could pay for a new flat ride, or pay for more employees. The plain fact is, it is masively expensive to run a park the size of GADV and roller coasters are probably the most expensive rides to run and maintain. This park has 13 of them. Hopefully it is to raise more money for future additions! The park has an outstanding coaster lineup but little else to keep me in the park and "buying stuff".

[coasterfreak101]

^Except I can park at similarly-sized King Dominion for $12.

[alpengeistfan1]

^^What about Cedar Point? Certainly a very large park, with 17 roller coasters and many large flat rides. They can have their parking at 10 dollars.

[coasterbill]

It's a different part of the country too.

 

Things are more expensive in the New York area. It sucks, but it's just the way it is. Parking at Yankee Stadium is $35.00 this year... $20 almost seems like a bargain. lol.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Walk...*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*At this time, I would like to remind my fellow posters that I like to use elipses whenever I'm being sarcastic.

[traincrossin]

It was 20 bucks to park at Great America last year so i'm not sure why you guys are complaining. They can charge whatever they want because they know people will still park there no matter what.

[BlueFireCoaster]

Parking at Magic Mountain is $20. Not sure why you're all surprised, it's the typical Six Flags screw job - much like the $13 for a plastic "souvenir" cup with a sticker on it which costs the park 25-50 cents, and a soda refill that probably costs 10-25 cents.

 

Parking at Yankee Stadium is $35.00 this year... $20 almost seems like a bargain. lol.

 

F**K THAT! What am I going to a Metallica concert or something?

 

I already hate the Yanks and their short right field wall gifting those tools homers they don't deserve, the $35 parking solidifies my feelings on that team.

[coasterbill]

Not to go off topic but the Yankees don't own the lots, Central Parking does.

 

And not go more off topic but Metallica is playing at Yankee Stadium later this year and parking for SPECIAL EVENTS is $70.00.

 

Like I said, $20.00 to park is bullcrap, but at least in this area we're really, really used to bullcrap.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^With places like Yankee Stadium, I'm sure they only have so many parking spaces, so I can imagine the parking prices are that way to encourage people to take other modes of transportation to the game.

[Nozzy]

Another visit today to take my parents using the Bring a Friend coupons on their last day, but I left my camera at home since thunderstorms were predicted. A few things:

-Parallax on Green Lantern now has some fog as well. Crews are still doing well and the ride is awesome!

-Bizarro's auger drill thing has been reinstalled in the corkscrews. I figured once daily operation hit the thing would be laying on the ground all season. I'm very pleased to be proven wrong!

-The bear cubs in Safari Discoveries are supercute. Just if you were wondering...

-Kingda Ka was down in the morning, but was running for part of the day (So, basically it's back to normal)

 

As for the trip, it was nice. Got on GL right away, then immediately after thunder and lightning. Ops need to take a bit more initiative in closing rides for weather- Parachutes were still going up after 3 thunder roars and a lightning flash.

Rides reopened pretty quickly after, with both sides of Rolling Thunder and the Skyride. Lines moved quickly everywhere.

I was a bit miffed last visit when I realized there were no air conditioned shows. Today, I realized that every stadium's lack of cover also means no shows in rain. Since the old stand-by for rides being closed in rain is to "check out the fantastic shows" I think there need to be some changes next year.

 

Batman's queue is absolutely unbearable. I think they really need to change the Flashpass merge point to the sewer tunnel entrance, and meter people through a la El Toro/Green Lantern/ Kingda Ka. Problem is that attendent won't be able to see how full station is, but the lack of any air flow combined with horrible smell of people packed inbetween the walls will have people passing out left and right on really hot days.

 

Ended day by spending 20 minutes in a giftshop watching a downpour flood mainstreet. It was pretty fun, especially when two employees walked by with a picnic table's umbrella to keep dry.

[Nozzy]

It seems that Bizarro's audio is attempting to make a comeback. One of the three trains had it turned on. Unfortunately, the audio is still very broken, with more static and silence than anything else. From the portions I heard, it is the old soundtrack, and not an updated one like SFNE.

[JDo217]

Honestly, I'm happy that the audio isn't working on Bizarro. Maybe if they lowered the volume a bit, it'd be okay but it's just shouting inaudible stuff in your ears

 

Does anyone know if they plan to open a new walkway between KK and El Toro?